The importance of clean water has moved up the international agenda. In 2010, the United Nations passed a resolution declaring access to clean water an official human right. Tackling the issue will require huge efforts, however: according to the UN Environment Program, 663 million people have no access to clean drinking water. But the need for clean water is also growing in industrialized countries because the ground water is often polluted. Consumer products, which sometimes contain toxic substances, are increasingly entering the water-cycle which is making the problem even more acute.

In Switzerland, about a third of the drinking water does not require any treatment before being piped to consumers. Another third is treated in a single stage process, whereas the last third needs to be treated in a multi-stage process. This treatment of drinking water is the specialty of many Swiss companies. Swiss experts design and build treatment plants using membrane technology, ozonation and active carbon for the production of municipal drinking water, as well as facilities for more complex treatment chains such as water softening and decalcification.